A Series of Small Flames: A Question of Where Elizabeth Powell Has Gone.



In this Internet age in which we live—where information is, quite literally, everywhere, you’d think you would know if a band you liked was still together, or if they had called it a day.

That is not always the case.

Land of Talk were, and possibly still are, an indie rock band from Montreal, fronted by Elizabeth Powell, backed by a somewhat revolving door of a additional players. At last count, in the fall of 2010, Land of Talk had grown well beyond the trio they started out as, requiring now an additional guitarist, a keyboard player, and a back-up vocalist. This was what was necessary to try to replicate the sound captured on the group’s ambitious second full-length album, Cloak and Cipher.


Land of Talk formed in the mid-2000s, and has two full lengths and a handful of EPs to their name—many of which were released on the significant independent label Saddle Creek. Powell was recruited at one point to be a member of the Canadian supergroup/collective Broken Social Scene, and a member of the Arcade Fire contributed to Cloak and Cipher. Bon Iver himself Justin Vernon even produced their debut release—he and Powell were also romantically involved at the time.

Since wrapping up the tour in support of Cloak and Cipher, Land of Talk has pretty much disappeared. Their official website has been taken down, and in its place is a weird, shady looking site with links to old interviews with the band, and photos. Their webstore is closed “temporarily.” The last time the band played live was in June of 2011 for the Canadian music and arts festival North by Northeast. Their social media outlet on Facebook is full of posts from fans saying “we miss you,” or “please come back,” with the last message posted by the band dating back to the summer of 2011, when Powell was selling her guitar amplifier for $1,250.

I knew that money was an issue for the band—for Powell specifically. In the summer of 2010, Cloak and Cipher leaked onto the Internet (as most records tend to do these days) and Powell took to Facebook to vent her frustration about people downloading the album and not buying it and supporting her and the band. I saw them play live when they were touring in support of the record—playing to a relatively full house at a small venue that holds a little over 200 people. She seemed genuinely moved by the amount of people there, and by the enthusiasm of the audience, and made a comment about having played a run of really bad shows prior to arriving in Minneapolis.

Like most bands do when playing live, Land of Talk kindly directed people to purchase merchandise from them. I had no problem coughing up $50 for the band—that got me a t-shirt, Cloak and Cipher on vinyl, and a cassette tape called The Beautiful Era, a collection of songs recorded by Powell when she was still a teenager. The tape, while self-indulgent at times, shows the promise Powell showed as a songwriter at young age, maturing into the material written for Land of Talk.


Aside from financial adversity facing the band in 2010, Powell herself had to recover from a hemorrhaging vocal polyp in the winter of 2008, shortly after they were finished touring in support of their full-length debut Some Are Lakes.

Nearly two and a half years have passed since Cloak and Cipher. Every time I wear my Land of Talk t-shirt, see their sticker on the bumper of my car, see their music files in the “L” section of my iTunes library—I stop and wonder just what the hell happened to this band. I wonder if it just got to be too much for Powell and she wanted to give it all up. I wonder if they will ever resurface or if they will be just another 2000s era indie rock band to fade into obscurity after one or two records.


The band’s Wikipedia page hasn’t been updated to reflect the demise of the band, but whenever I think to check it for new information, I am concerned I will see the “years active” listed from 2006-2013. In 2010 when I saw them perform live, the band came back out for an encore, and I shouted as loud as I could, “A Series of Small Flames,” the incredibly emotional closing track from their 2009 EP Fun and Laughter. As she tuned her guitar, she said into the crowd, “No, I can’t play that. I would explode.”

So Elizabeth Powell, if you search for yourself on the Internet, and if you are reading this, please let everybody know if Land of Talk is done for good, or if you are on hiatus. I don't even care where you've been for the last three years. 

If you are reading this, I hope that you haven’t exploded.


Comments

  1. I listen to Land of Talk on a daily basis. Usually their entire catalog is on shuffle over and over while I am at work. I really think a lot of fans are wondering where she's been. You are probably just one of the first to speak out but we're all thinking it. I sincerely hope we haven't heard anything because they are in the studio working on new music.

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  2. I've been wondering this since I found out about them. I really wish I had the chance to see them live. What drew me to them in the first place was how similar her guitar playing and songwriting style was to my own, which was really unnerving.

    You go through life thinking you're unique and that as long as you can prove it you're solid. Then someone comes along and does everything you do, only more beautifully.

    Either way, I wish they'd come back. But if her mind works anything like my own (which it must if our attraction to dissonant chords and sincere words comes from the same place) I understand why they're gone.

    Thanks for the great article!

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  3. I'm a huge Land of Talk fan and have seen the band live several times (Four? Five?), but that cassette was never for sale that I recall. I think I need it (indulgent warts and all). Help! Where can I get my hands on it?

    As for the break, I've read a piece here or there suggesting that Liz may be taking stock, and Land of Talk may be on extended hiatus--at least. While I can appreciate the need to take a step back, that does make me sad, because I think she's a tremendously talented musician and I love just about everything she's done (that I've heard). Reading between the lines a little, it also sounds like she could be a bit disillusioned with the music business in general. If that's true, she's hardly the first, and I can't say I blame her. Alas.

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  4. Hope this exposure gets back to her so she can update us on the status of whatever is going on with her and the band. This band is underrated and I feel just hitting their stride with the release of the awesome Cloak And Cipher. Now I just need to get my hands on The Beautiful Era and the ELE_K*.

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  5. God, man, it breaks my heart to know I will probably never hear another new song from Land of Talk...

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  6. Thank you so much for this post. Land of Talk has been one of my favourite bands for a while and while listening to them this AM, wondered what had happened. Like the other commentors, sad if the band never puts out another album but happy that we've at least had a few albums and EP's worth of material.

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  7. This was published March 16th 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJuyBA4VJv0. I love them. Pretty sure they split up, but lead singer is onto other projects. Keep looking up!

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  8. It makes me so sad to see that not only Land of Talk, but Lizzie Powell, have completely disappeared from the internet since 2011. I just hope that someone so talented hasn't given up on music.

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  9. Thanks for the article. I've been having a look around for news on the band. I'm a British musician who lived in Montreal in 2006/7 when Land of Talk were getting noticed. My band The Corduroys (later changed to Open Fields) supported her at a solo show. I loved the band before I moved and it was amazing to share a concert with her. She spoke to me about her distant relatives in Liverpool and I helped her carry her gear. The industry wasn't kind to them and the constant touring made her very ill. People long after artists they love to stay around but as a musician I can understand the 'quit while you're ahead' mentality. Of course, I was never in a successful band so that's just a personal insight which might be relevant to another sensitive person which Lizzie Powell seemed to be. I'm just glad that we have the material they did release. Of course would be excited if she/they came back on the scene. Thanks again.

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  10. Thank you for this. I often wonder where she disappeared to. Saw them in Dallas on the cloak & cipher tour. Such an amazing show. Would love to hear some new music.

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  11. Thanks for this article. About every month, I get back on the Internet Googling news about the band. Just came to the Internet again this morning after CBC Ottawa Morning mentioned that some members of Land of Talk were in a band playing this weekend at Wakefield's Blacksheep Inn.

    As a chick, I really groove on Elizabeth Powell's vibe and style. Musically, the drums pound, the sound intense and the lyrics always so unusual -- have all albums and play "Some Are Lakes" every day.

    Great article -- but saddened to hear the industry wasn't too kind to them. If I read that right. Could be why SaddleCreek never tweets me back whenever I tweet Land of Talk vids. Wondered about that. Hmm.

    Keep us updated, Kevin! Nice one.

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  12. hey everyone

    thanks for showing so much love to the band, and to this piece. i never expected such a positive response when i wrote it, and it continues to be one of the posts that attracts the most attention on this blog.

    i think maybe last week or the week before i went onto their wikipedia page and saw that the years active thing had been changed to "2006-2012." so i'm going to go ahead and say that it's officially over, which is a bummer to actually read in print, but it's what i expected for, like, three years now.

    i went on the Blacksheep Inn website and couldn't really tell which band had former LoT members in it. what was their name?

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  13. It may have been the Barr Brothers? Has anyone ever asked one of them? I know this goes far too personal. It would just be nice to know she is okay. Over the years I have hung out with her and talked to her quite a bit and then once the band was done I just never heard from her again. I know she had a rough patch for a bit with a now very well known popular musician who decided to stop talking to her. I tried to even tweet at Kevin Drew with no reply because she was working with BSS in the later years. In the end it really is none of our business but I did really consider her more of a friend then being some obsessed fan and would love to know that she is doing well.

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  14. i tried tweeting 2 brendan canning w/r/t to this and he did not respond either.

    maybe this will be just an indie music mystery.

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    1. that's a shame. the bands you don't care for put numerous albums out yet, the bands you love seem to disappear all too quickly.

      just picked up "some are lakes" on vinyl today from saddle creek.

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  15. Thanks for this. Have been wondering and searching in vain. I just hope she releases something sometime again.

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  16. Thanks for this. I have been searching in vain. Just hope she releases something again sometime.

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  17. Still missing land of talk. Come back Liz Powell. Your dreamy voice and lyrics are like a beacon of light for a lot of us. How can we help?

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  18. Thanks for this info - I've been wondering why no new music or anything from them. Grateful to have seen them on the last tour through Austin for Cloak. It was an excellent show and happy for the music she did release...

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  19. Have went back through and purchased all the albums on vinyl that I could. Some Are Lakes is so f**king strong and poweful and sure of itself. I love it so much! Sad we don't get the opportunity to hear new stuff from a person/people who wrote such great stuff.

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  20. Some Are Lakes instantly became a favorite. Such a strong and beautiful record. So disheartening that we don't get to hear new music from a person/people who wrote such great music.

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  21. Thanks for writing this up Kevin. Your personable article offers some solace amongst the ambiguity of wikipedia and fruitless web searches.

    @StuartMydlow When did they come through Austin?! It almost hurts more knowing that I could have missed them within the last couple years...

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  22. Thanks a lot for this and I will agree with others that its really sad that we never got to hear from them again and probably never will. Playing 'Quarry Hymns' right now! :(
    The wikipedia pages states the band manger has confirmed that the band is officially over. What's even sadder is that they didn't bother to announce the news themselves! Well, at least they aren't a mystery anymore! Hope Lizzie is alright and considers coming back one day!

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  23. Great write-up. I love this band, and they've been on my mind for awhile. I looked them up a few weeks ago to see if they were going to be touring because I'd still not seen them live. So sad to hear they're no longer together. I feel they were one of the bands that were under-appreciated while they were active. Oh well. We're in the know, and we love their guts. Their songs are still as good as when I first fell in love with them. -Mirah

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  24. she works at apple annies in orillia ontario

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    1. well if that's the case, please let her know that people out there miss her and LoT.

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    2. If it's just a small group of us that really love her music I hope we support her if she plays some venue's...

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  25. http://youtu.be/ZMHnU9Xk9Hw

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  26. http://youtu.be/ZMHnU9Xk9Hw

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  27. Hey Kevin,
    Do you by chance have the rest of The Beautiful Era uploaded? "Lazy Love" sounds wonderful. Thanks so much!

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    1. hey jon. i did, because i sent it to someone else who had commented on this piece after it was originally posted. hit me up with the best way to get a hold of you via email or whatever and i can try to get you a link soon-ish.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. I'd love to get a copy of the Beautiful Era myself.. How can I get in contact w/o posting an email address on the public forum?

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    4. ayo Brian, hit me up via the A.H. facebook page and i can get you a linky.

      www.facebook.com/AnhedonicHeadphones

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    5. In my most recent search to see if Elizabeth has come out of hiding some more, I managed to stumble upon a recording of a chamber pop rendition of "Lazy Love" that gives it a much more dynamic quality than the (presumed) original version. The description dates the recording to 2006, which would be right around when Land of Talk was first formed; if she wrote the song several years previous to that, it certainly aged well.

      https://soundcloud.com/lauren-jadegilbert/lazy-love-bell-orchestre

      I read in an interview somewhere that Elizabeth double-tracked her vocals in most of her earlier recordings as a way to cover up any vulnerabilities in her voice, and yet there's such an alluring quality to her singing with all the production tricks stripped bare.

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  28. https://sonicmoremusic.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/land-of-talks-elizabeth-powell-returns-to-the-stage-at-the-2015-roots-north-music-festival/

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  29. I miss them too. Happy too see all the other comments on the article. They were a fantastic band. Thank you for the article.

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  30. Thanks for posting this article - I'm glad I'm not the only one who wondered what happened. I heard the The Hate I Won't Commit on CBC yesterday, started to listen to all of my old music and remembered how much I loved and now miss this music. I'm hoping for a reunion ala the Dears or Alexisonfire. I do wonder how many people it would take to get them to play one more show?

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  31. Thanks for posting this article - I'm glad I'm not the only one who wondered what happened. I heard the The Hate I Won't Commit on CBC yesterday, started to listen to all of my old music and remembered how much I loved and now miss this music. I'm hoping for a reunion ala the Dears or Alexisonfire. I do wonder how many people it would take to get them to play one more show?

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  32. They were great.
    I think one more show would be like a dream come true for everyone who once in awhile comes here just to feel less alone without this band.

    Also, this is the only thing I could find somewhat related to Land of Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMHnU9Xk9Hw

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  33. Land of Talk Facebook page was updated yesterday!!

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  34. Holy shit! This makes me ridiculously happy.

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  35. Even more so, a @landoftalk_band Instagram account was launched a couple of days ago. It's plausible that Liz would update the band's old Facebook and Twitter profiles to prove she's alive and well, but surely she wouldn't register with a new social media platform unless she was putting a band back together.

    Just focus on the music, Lizzie. We're all eager to hear what you come up with.

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  36. Lol, this comment section is its own community. Here's hoping they're in the studio!

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  37. Update: They're back. Album coming out May 19th. The flames are alive.

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  38. Hey, anyone know where one could get a copy of the ELE_K album or anything pre-LOT for that matter? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. looks like the ELE_K stuff is on YouTube. i was not familiar with this until today actual. very poppy/slickly produced.

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